‘The industry could use a great PR company,’ said NB+C’s Vice President of Human Capital
Maybe it’s because it’s a small industry, or because it’s an “in-the-family” kind of industry, or because it’s not, let’s face it, a particularly sexy one — or maybe it’s due to all of these things. Either way, getting younger generations to consider a career in telecommunications is famously hard. And with billions in federal funding through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program on its way to U.S. states and territories, broadband projects are going to start popping up around the country, making the need for a larger telecom workforce — particularly fiber technicians and engineers — that much more urgent.
“College students have no idea that this industry even exists,” said Kara Silbert, NB+C’s VP of human capital, adding that classes with a telecom focus don’t exist, not even in the majors where they probably should, like engineering, business and real estate. “Do the textbooks even have any case studies?” she questioned.
“I’m competing with every engineering firm for these kids,” she continued, echoing a similar sentiment put forth by Deborah Kish, the VP of workforce development at the Fiber Broadband Association, who explained that the plumbers, the electricians and the engineers are all fighting for the same workforce.
“So, it’s a matter of who’s got the best mousetrap,” she quipped.
For Madison Carroll, global program manager at Dura-Line Academy, the problem is best described as one of marketing: “We keep saying we need to have a skilled workforce, which we do, but a big piece of that is this gap in awareness. The next generation isn’t even aware that jobs in telecom and telecom construction exists — we are hearing that over and over again. It is a marketing problem. Historically, we haven’t marketed our industry to the next generation,” she stated.
When it comes to fiber and broadband technicians, specifically, we’re talking about the people outside, digging the trenches. “We’re talking utility construction,” Carroll continued. “It’s in the field and it’s tough … but some of our smartest leaders in [telecom] started by digging the ditches because then they understand how the fiber went from the data center to the home and understanding that gives you a whole different perspective. We need to do a better job explaining the potential career paths.”
Silbert agreed, commenting: “I think the industry could use a great PR company. That’s what my team at NB+C does when we’re trying to hire new people.”
Securing a younger telecom workforce with an updated message
As Kish said, attracting a telecom workforce is about getting their attention, and so for those working tirelessly to ensure we have the workers in the field ready to build the networks that BEAD will finally make possible, changing the message has become a priority. Specifically, a new message directed at potential fiber techs and fiber engineers around working in a fast-paced environment that’s doing good for the community is emerging.
“If you want to spend three years building a bridge, this is not for you. But if you’re fast-paced, this is your space,” said Silbert, adding that fiber projects move fast and she’s finding that it’s very appealing to some personalities.
She also shared that BEAD’s aim of closing the digital divide can’t be overlooked as a potential motivation for joining the telecom workforce. “You’re doing good, you’re contributing [and] were getting more into that messaging.”
NTIA data shows that roughly one in five U.S. households are not connected to the Internet at home. Further troubling, households that cited “too expensive” as their barrier to having home internet were more likely to have school-age children at home and identify as racial and ethnic minorities than those who simply weren’t interested in getting online.
So, yes, being part of the effort to bridge the digital divide is noble and maybe that will appeal to some young people. This, though, has yet to be proven out. “We’ve been throwing spaghetti at the wall for a couple of years now, and I’ll keep throwing it as long as I have to,” Kish said of how she and the FBA are trying to sell the idea of a career in telecom. “I’ll take the things that stick and the things that don’t.”
